Component carriers, or bandoliers, which are used to transport components such as electrical contacts, pins, and the like, for a variety of manufacturing purposes, are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,363 teaches the use of a carrier in conjunction with a selective electro-plating apparatus. The carrier which in this patent is called a conveyor belt, is taught as being comprised of a flexible, electrically conductive material, such as cartridge brass, which is used to make electrical contact with electrical contact pins, so that they may be plated. The carrier includes a base having holes therein adapted to be driven by sprocket teeth and a series of fingers extending from the base, the fingers being so shaped as to resiliently receive contact pins and hold the pins during plating operations. The patent further teaches the possibility of plating the ends of the component gripped by the carrier in different plating baths to provide selectively different platings for the pin.
The '363 patent and certain of the prior art patents cited therein, teach a wide variety of carrier or bandolier constructions. One of the problems associated with the use of carriers relates to the current trend of the electronics industry toward miniaturization of parts and an associated desire to place such parts on as close centerlines as possible, thereby providing more parts per inch and more parts per unit of time that can be handled, plated and assembled, thus increasing efficiency in manufacturing and assembling. Additionally, by placing the parts on the center-to-center spacings of components into which they will be loaded or, at least, upon center-to-center spacings which are a multiple thereof; handling steps, which are costly and which may result in contact damage, can be substantially reduced. For example, if a component board such as a circuit board is to be loaded with pins, or a connector housing is similarly to be loaded with pins, having the pins presented on the center-to-center spacing of such board or such housing, simplifies the need to place the pins on such centers for multiple loading.
A second problem facing the use of carriers is one of minimizing damage to the component part caused by the carrier and engagement therewith. This may happen during loading of the part into or unloading of the part from the carrier, particularly with respect to those carriers that are made of metal and have sharp edges, which can scratch or gouge the parts or the platings thereof.
Still a further problem is specifically related to how to manufacture very small carriers that are required to carry components on close spacings, how to manufacture the miniaturized features of a carrier, particularly a carrier made of sheet metal, how to use it in loading and unloading, and how to adapt it to a practical manufacturing tool.
The foregoing problems are addressed by the improvement carrier strip of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier having a configuration that facilitates the handling of small components on close centers in a manner which minimizes component damage.
It is another object to provide a carrier having a configuration that facilitates the handling of small components without the need for secondary means for clinching, locking or retaining the components in the carrier.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacture for such carrier in a number of embodiments as well as a method of utilizing such carrier to advantage.